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Monday, 21 January 2013

Kissing his boyfriend during a protest in front of Russia's parliament
earned Pavel Samburov 30 hours of detention and the equivalent of a $16
fine on a charge of "hooliganism." But if a bill that comes up for a
first vote later this month becomes law, such a public kiss could be
defined as illegal "homosexual propaganda" and bring a fine of up to
$16,000.
The legislation being pushed by the Kremlin and the Russian Orthodox
Church would make it illegal nationwide to provide minors with
information that is defined as "propaganda of sodomy, lesbianism,
bisexuality and transgenderism." It includes a ban on holding public
events that promote gay rights. St. Petersburg and a number of other
Russian cities already have similar laws on their books.
The bill is part of an effort to promote traditional Russian values as
opposed to Western liberalism, which the Kremlin and church see as
corrupting Russian youth and by extension contributing to a wave of
protest against President Vladimir Putin's rule.
Samburov describes the anti-gay bill as part of a Kremlin crackdown on
minorities of any kind — political and religious as well as sexual —
designed to divert public attention from growing discontent with Putin's
rule.
The lanky and longhaired Samburov is the founder of the Rainbow
Association, which unites gay activists throughout Russia. The gay
rights group has joined anti-Putin marches in Moscow over the past year,
its rainbow flag waving along with those of other opposition groups.
Other laws that the Kremlin says are intended to protect young Russians
have been hastily adopted in recent months, including some that allow
banning and blocking web content and print publications that are deemed
"extremist" or unfit for young audiences.
Denis Volkov, a sociologist with the Levada Center, an independent
pollster, says the anti-gay bill fits the "general logic" of a
government intent on limiting various rights.
But in this case, the move has been met mostly with either indifference
or open enthusiasm by average Russians. Levada polls conducted last year
show that almost two thirds of Russians find homosexuality "morally
unacceptable and worth condemning." About half are against gay rallies
and same-sex marriage; almost a third think homosexuality is the result
of "a sickness or a psychological trauma," the Levada surveys show.
Russia's widespread hostility to homosexuality is shared by the political and religious elite.
Lawmakers have accused gays of decreasing Russia's already low birth
rates and said they should be barred from government jobs, undergo
forced medical treatment or be exiled. Orthodox activists criticized
U.S. company PepsiCo for using a "gay" rainbow on cartons of its dairy
products. An executive with a government-run television network said in a
nationally televised talk show that gays should be prohibited from
donating blood, sperm and organs for transplants, while after death
their hearts should be burned or buried.
The anti-gay sentiment was seen Sunday in Voronezh, a city south of
Moscow, where a handful of gay activists protesting against the
parliament bill were attacked by a much larger group of anti-gay
activists who hit them with snowballs.